Pinless man&#39;s shirt fold



May 27, 1941- J. VANDERMADE PINLESS MAN'S SHIRT FOLD Filed Jan. 15, 19402 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR DEB/WADE A TTOR/VEYS May 27, 1941. J.VANDERMADE PINLESS MANS SHIRT FOLD Filed Jan. 13, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. k/Of/N VQNOERMHOE A TTORNE V6 Patented May 27, 1941 PINLESSMANS SIHRT FOLD John Vandermade, Hawthorne, N. J., assignor to TheManhattan Shirt Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication January 13, 1940, Serial No. 313,704

2 Claims.

This invention relates to folding men's and like shirts.

The object of this invention is to put up mens shirts in a uniquelyfolded manner and form, without the use of pins, tapes, ribbons or otherfastening means. This invention permits shirts to be put up for handlingand inspection in substantially rectangular configuration, exhibitingthe whole of the bosom, the whole of the buttonhole staypiece, all ofthe buttons, the collar in an upstanding position, substantial portionsof the shoulders of the shirt and a portion of the pocket, in order thatthe salesman or the purchaser may readily examine the fabric, style andworkmanship of the shirt. The invention also permits the shirt to bereadily handled for inspection without disturbing the folds of the shirtand without exhibiting in the front of the shirt any of the supportingmeans nor exhibiting any substantial portion of the supporting means atthe back of the fold. This invention further permits the shirt to bereadily folded and to be readily unfolded. This invention also permitsthe shirt to be packed for shipment and prevents it from being wrinkledor breaking down the upright position of the collar when a number arepacked in a box or during handling.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a face view in perspective of the support orboard used within the folds of the shirt; Fig. 2 a front view of theassembled shirt and support; Fig. 3 a rear view thereof; Fig. 4 a sideelevation of Fig. 2 partly in section; Fig. 5 a. supplemental collarsupport; Fig. 6 a rear view of certain steps involved in folding a shirton the support; and Fig. '7 is a rear view of the assembled shirt andsupport prior to locking or securing the shirt and support together.

The support I is preferably made of flexible material, such asinexpensive cardboard, provided with shoulder portions 2, inwardlycurving sides or cut-outs 3, a straight bottom edge 4, and a duplex lockcomprising an interlocking tab 5 formed by four slits 6 separating thetab from the body of the support at four edges and having a neck portionI retaining the tab 5 connected to the body of the support and providinga hinge on which the tab may be bent. The second element of the duplexlock comprises the securing tab 8, which is an integral portion of thesupport, extending from the shoulders 2 and provided with a score orslit 9, the slit extending but part way through the support to provide ahinge upon which the tab 8 may be moved to substantially uprightposition with respect tothe body of the support.

The shirt to be folded-after being buttoned, is preferably laid with theback of the shirt facing upwardly, the sleeves being then folded justback of the shoulder portions along the line H! and then again foldedalong the line II between the fold l0 and the cuff of the shirt so thatthe cuff reaches a position just short of the high point of the shoulderof the shirt. The left sleeve is preferably first so folded and then theright sleeve, which brings the cuffs and part of the sleevecorresponding to the forearm in overlap relation as shown at l2. Thesupport I may then be laid upon the back of the shirt over the foldedsleeves with the slit 9 substantially in line with the lower edge I3 ofthe collar. The sides of the shirt are then folded over the back of thesupport along the line H and these folds extend in a straight line thewhole length of the shirt, the fold to the right overlying the leftfold. It is to be noted that when the folds I4 are formed, the portionsof the shirt sleeves lying between the outer edge of the cuff and thefold l4 lie in part beneath the shoulderportion 2 of the support partlywithin the cut-out portion 3 and partly over the lowermost portion ofthe support in proximity to the edge 4, thereby tending to anchor thesleeve portions beneath the support I. After the two folds M-H have beencompleted, the tail portion [5 of the shirt is folded inwardly along theline l6 and the entire lower portion is then folded upwardly along theline I! against the edge 4 of the support.

The interlocking tab 5 is then raised, as shown in Fig. 7, and the lowerportion of the shirt along the line I! is inserted into the leg [8 ofslit 6,

thereby locking the two main folds of the shirt' together, but a smallportion of the interlocking tab 5 being exposed to,view as shown in Fig.3. The securing tab 8 is then bent to substantially right angles to theplane of the support I and inserted between the neckband and the collarof the shirt, the top edge of the tab extending to the fold line of thecollar.

To add rigidity to the side portions of the collar, a support I9 may beutilized, being placed between the neckband and the collar, the securingbutton for the neckband passing through the keyhole slot 20.

serted between the neckband and turned over portion of the collar andtends to flatten the collar rather than hold it in the upright positionshown in Fig. 2.

I claim: 1. In combination, a man's shirt or the like and a supporttherefor, said support comprising a sheet of flexible material havingshoulder portions and a bottom portion provided with a straight bottomedge, cut-outs extending inwardly from opposite sides of said supportforming a narrow neck portion connecting the shoulder portions and thebottom portion, an interlocking tab between the outer edges of theshoulder portions, said tab normally lying in the plane of the supportand being bounded by a series of incisions formed through the support,separating said tab from said support excepting at a narrow portion inthe area of the shoulder portions, the sleeves of the shirt or the likebeing folded with the open end of the sleeves extending upwardly andfreely lying between the body of the shirt or the like and the support,other portions of the sleeves, shoulders and sides of the bosom and thelower portion of the shirt or the like being freely folded over thesupport to form a substantially rectangular configuration both at thefront and at the back of the shirt or the like, a portion of the frontof the shirt or the like passing into the uppermost incision of saidinterlocking tab, whereby the shirt and the support are secured togetherby the interlocking tab and said straight bottom edge of the support.

.2. In combination, a man's shirt or the like and a support therefor,said support comprising a sheet of flexible material having shoulderportions and a bottom portion provided with a straight bottom edge,cut-outs extending inwardly from opposite sides of said support forminga narrow neck portion connecting the shoulder portions and the bottomportion, an interlocking tab between the outer edges of the shoulderportions, said tab normally lying in the plane of the support and beingbounded by a series of incisions formed through'the support, separatingsaid tab from said support excepting at a narrow portion in the area ofthe shoulder portions, a securing tab extending from the shoulderportions, and folded upwardly at substantially a right angle to the bodyof the support, the sleeves of the shirt or the like being folded withthe open end of the sleeves extending upwardly and freely lying betweenthe body of the shirt or the like and the support, other portions of thesleeves, shoulders and sides of the bosom and the lower portion of theshirt or the like being freely folded over the support to form asubstantially rectangular configuration both at the front and at theback of the shirt or the like, a portion of the front of the shirt orthe like passing into the uppermost incision of said interlocking tab,

JOHN VANDERMADE.

